Pneumatic piano-action.



I R. W. COOPER, F. A. LEE & R. J. MEYER.

PNEUMATIC PIANO ACTION.

APPLIOATION FILED JULY 7, 1913.

1,1 33,793. Patented Mar. 30, 1915.

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RO E T W. coo'PEIt .o'r gnn'vrongKnnrucinr}AND-nannies LEE nn RayMEYER," 5

cnuncncomraunoronvc mvA'rI, c1110, a conronarionoron o.

T allwhom it conc emr i a Beit known that we, ,RoB'E 'r Coornm a citizenof theUnited States,- and ,a I'eSi-If denti'of the of Dayton, in thecounty of Campbell j and rStateQof. Kentucky, and FRANK A. LEE and RAii,J.' MEYER,: citizens of the United States, and residents ofthe As iswell known to persons skilled in the art, the necessary? mechanical Vrelation" between the piano action and the pneumatic acteristics ofwhich are excessive sharpness,

power action is achieved by means of what is called generally a strikingpneumatic, in the generaljform of a'small'bellows. This statementapplies to any form of ,musical instruments which are mechanicallyoperable, but particularly to pianosas aforesaid. It'has been foundthattheicontact of the pneumatic key aforesaid with the piano ac;

tion produces a touch, the principal charcrispness and hardness, so thatthe lineof v sor demarcation ;between the sort of'piano touch providedthrough pneumatic'mech-' anism and through the finger operating upon thekeyboardof the piano has always been very marked; I In order to overcome7 this acknowledgeddefecflwe haveprovided a certain construction andarrangement of a I parts ashereinafter-specifically pointed out andclaimed, whereby the function of the s'ocalled pneumatic key orpowerpneumatic as a counterpartof ,the'finger key ispreserved througha-somewhat analogousform of that part of the pianosaction known as the Iwippen, whereby a rounded contact between parts actuated by saidpneumatic' andvthef wippen of the piano action is provided, to approachas near as possible in effect, the

' contact in the mechanical operation ofthe piano action 1 when:actuated by the finger 1 through the ordinary keyboard.

nection. other end of the wippen'show ng the con;

I z nections with its sticken; 'liigQ is a side L f Is ecia aubi l wman.1 ,Pat

member.

In the drawings, Figure '1 is aside 'elevation of our device. Fig.2is anend view of the'complementary wippen flange and con- Fig.- 3 is asimilarview at the elevation of the wippen construction showing'th'e novelcontactfifeature. Fig. '5 is an:

SAID c'oornn- Ann- SAIDHLE'EQ AssIenoR's To T-HE JonN;

htea Marl 30, 1915.1

enlarged perspective of the complementary wippen.

. 1 is a'powenpneumatic. withz the extension 2' on its movable memberto"actuate1:the,

piano*acti:on, and 3 is the key of a piano.

of the pianoY As illustrated in Fig. 2,there is the abstract with),abstract lever 5 and flan'ge The abstract has at its endathe capstanscrew 7, andhas the ordinary connection with the wippen 8. Therefis thespoons 9, located outside of the wippenflange '10, the flange mounted onthe middle action rail 11. Mounted on the wippen is a the jack 12, withits flange 13' and its spring 14: bearingon the wippen. The back checkbridleWireQlG, This action, as detailed,

: covers'the usual construction" and arrangement of parts for trippingthe hammer (not 'sh0wn)'- "of the ordinary "upright piano.

For the pneumatic action, we utilize the same wippen and the partsmounted thereon, but provide alever, connect it with the erably" by ournovel contact means impart the movement of, the lever, to the directwippen, A-rod 17 is provided, upwardlyextendingy and suitably attachedat 18 to f the extension 2 of the; pneumatic movable Mounted on rail24:,{is thelever 21. This mountingis by an additional madt action oi-Theusual constructionofiupright pianoac ,7 3 vtion' 'is.followedfin'connectionwiththefkey 15 is mounted on the wippen, and also'thc itmovable member of the'pneumaticrand prefthe usual fiangej25 withbifurcated end-into swinging 7 connection between the vtwo s'eoppositeitsflange is a depending knob 19,

,thro'ugha ;hole in whichis inserted the book 20 on the upper end of therod 17. The rod thus acts as apush'rod between the pneumatic and thelevera21. The wippen extends in from the jack and, on'its ,under side,which' the lever-end is placed, and th i cured by the 'pin22. At theend of the lever is provided preferablyxwith the rounded V contactknob26; A'rou'nded contact knob The operation is simple. When motion is 23is provided on the leverQl, and the parts .soarranged that thesetworounded knobs coincidefi imparted" to the rod117, it raises thelever. to l which it"tisattached." I This lever then raises r 7 face,raised against the other rounded one,

gives the required continuous and precise Vmovement necessary to obtainthe proper tripping of thehammer of the action,van d,

thus to approximate the human touch with the mechanical player. Therounded contact is, however, the preferred form.

Having thus described our invention,

by'Letters Patent,is: V

1. In a combination key and pneumatic powerpiano action, a pivotedwippen for the key action, a pivoted lever positioned to Copies of thispatent maybe obtained in:

what we claim as newand desire to secure L VWitne'sses:

contact therewith, connection from the lever to thepneumatic powerparts, a rounded knob on the wippen and-a rounded knob" on the lever atthe point of contact between them, for the purpose described. r p

2; In a combination key and pneumatic power'piano action, a pivotedwippen for the key-action, a pivoted lever positioned to contacttherewith, connection from the lever" to the pneumatic power parts, adepending rounded knob. on the wippen'and anfupf wardly extendingrounded knob on the lever 7 at the point of contact between them, for

the purpose described. '7

ROBERT w. COOPER. FRANK A. LEE. RAFY J. MEYER.

MANTON ALL N, KATHERINESMITH.

five cents each, hi addressing thef commi s si one r of Patents,WashingtomDL'G. Q 1 i' w 1

